


Acceptance

by Ringshadow



Series: Dynamic Factors [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: D/s, M/M, just assume I'm thumbtapping them until I note otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 01:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2489351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ringshadow/pseuds/Ringshadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SHIELD's in a rough place, but Tony Stark is an overeager helping hand and a headache for Phil. Clint decides a date might be the cure among other things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> As there's some confusion about how I'm complying with the TV series, I thought I'd clarify.
> 
> Frankly I'm not. SHIELD is not totally destroyed in this story series. They still have/had buildings and presence even if they're down to ten or fifteen percent strength. There's still a witch hunt, but they're public and surviving.
> 
> Roughly I am movie compliant and first season compliant, except for the whole SHIELD-not-gone thing. I'm also adding in a little bit of comic influence, at the moment primarily from Iron Man: HyperVelocity.
> 
> In short, this series is canon divergent. I'm sorry about any confusion, I was trying hard to make that obvious and I guess I failed at that.

"So uh. I want to tie you up."

  
  
Phil looked up from his reams of paperwork slowly. "Well that's one way to say good afternoon, Clint."

  
  
He's still getting used to this new office, this new space. Their meeting with Captain Rogers and Stark had been less a meeting and more an angry fight comprised of intel exchanges.

  
  
Turned out, those old buildings the remains of SHIELD had been lurking in? Bugged. Their bug sweeps had missed it because they were laced with the building wires. A rat's nest from construction. Everything important had been removed and the buildings had been razed to the ground in under forty eight hours. Stark had gathered what little was left of SHIELD's administration and given them four floors of his own building "just until we build you something nice." Phil had agreed, on the proviso that all former staff be locked out of those floors. Only badged SHIELD allowed.

  
  
Maria Hill hadn't so much glared daggers as glared longswords.

  
  
The other painful bit of intel was that apparently their residences were known. God fucking dammit. Phil liked his place. He owned his place. Tony bought it out from under him and put him in an apartment of his building. He and Clint were splitting a floor. It was a huge amount of space in the world's most high tech and possibly most secure skyscraper.

  
  
And Phil didn't feel safe. He was barely sleeping, constantly on combat alert, the feeling of not-safe permeated down to his bones.

  
  
He knew he should be thankful to Stark but he's pissed and groundless. Pretty much status quo for him, at the moment...

  
  
Bringing him back to Barton, who looks equally displaced and on edge, gazing back at Phil like he's a life line.

  
  
"Yeah, good afternoon." Clint flopped in a chair across from Phil. "Look, we both hate this."

  
"Really we shouldn't. We've been better off here. We're doing damage now."

  
  
He had a secure command station. He'd given Rogers the intel on HYDRA bases and they were dealing damage back hard and fast. His little team from before was settling here too. Fitz, still recovering, had actually smiled when he saw the lab. He'd given Skye control over the cyber warfare department, she'd taken the job once he agreed to let her rename it to something "less eighties."

  
  
What was so wrong with the eighties?

  
  
He'd knocked May down three security levels immediately and put her back on desk duty. Which is where she'd wanted to be anyway. She wasn't happy with him. He didn't care.

  
  
Ward had been handed off to the same facility Rumlow was at, as he was a prisoner and a sub in deep, deep distress. Hopefully he'd start recovering soon.

  
  
"So what, we can still hate it." Clint snorted.

  
  
"Yes. You can't sleep either?"

  
  
"Not well. Never do in strange places and I know you're worse." Clint leaned on his knees, looking at Phil. "Bringing me to what I started with. I want to tie you up."

  
  
He lifted an eyebrow. "Right now? Because it's two in the afternoon."

  
  
"I meant after your workday. I want to take you out to eat then ease you down. Neither of us feel safe and part of bondage is being secured. I think it would help us."

  
  
"Tch, you missed your chance, I would have totally played hookey but now I want dinner instead."

  
  
Clint burst into surprised laughter. "Is that a yes?"

  
  
"Well, provisionally, how do you want to do this?"

  
  
"Loathe as I am to ruin a surprise." He took a roll of bondage tape out of his pocket, holding it up. "Thought we'd take advantage of those ironwork headboards Stark so thoughtfully provided."

  
  
He considered the tape. He's used it previously of course, though not on himself obviously. It's not a bad idea, it didn't give him shivers like handcuffs or rough rope did if he considered those (probably collateral from getting caught by the enemy before). "Okay. I'm down for this. Come get me at five or so."

  
  
"Holding you to that time, don't care who's doing or attacking what." Clint stuck the tape back in his pocket and stood.

  
  
"What if the building comes under siege?"

  
  
"Then fuck them for ruining our date. I'll fight my way out and take you to dinner anyway." And with that, Clint stepped away.

  
  
Date?

  
  
Shit. When had they hit that point?

* * *

  
  
When five rolled around, Phil still wasn't sure. He'd never really known how to think of this, but probably going out to a club together and Clint bringing him breakfast and oh yeah the whole sorta phone sex thing probably counted as dating.

  
  
God dammit he is so bad at this.

  
  
Still, he finds himself pleased when Clint showed up, more so that he's in most of a suit. No tie because in Clint's mind ties were for two things: weddings and funerals.

  
  
"Lose the tie, restaurant doesn't allow them." He said by way of hello.

  
  
"Hello, Clint, my day's been stressful but productive, yours?" He replied, pulling his tie open and out of his collar in one gesture.

  
  
"Are you saying I'm failing at normal conversation sir?"

  
  
"Yes. And Phil is fine, I am now off duty." He tucked the tie in his jacket pocket and undid his top few buttons as they walked out.

  
"You always do that." Clint grumbled.

  
  
"Hm?"

  
  
"Undo one more button than is strictly necessary you adorable whore."

  
  
Phil was still laughing as they walked out the 'agency' door. It counted, it was a high security door with the SHIELD eagle on it that required a badge and two kinds of biometrics. He wasn't surprised to find May talking to Hill in the little seating area that had sprung up in the hall there.

  
  
"When are you going to let me in, Coulson?" Hill wanted to know.

  
  
"Never." He replied, pushing the elevator button. "You ditched then you damn near got us sent to Gitmo. I am now a certain Brigadier General's most wanted capture in spite of being strictly speaking not a criminal, and that is all on you. Enjoy the private sector."

  
  
"Sir I really think…" May started.

  
  
"Do I need to get started on your list of sins, Judas?" Phil replied, stepping on the elevator and turning to look at them. Clint moved with him, somehow keeping a straight face. "Have a good night, ladies. I certainly plan to." And he hit the elevator closed button, maintaining eye contact until it shut.

  
  
"Damn." Clint said appreciatively. "That was fucking ice cold."

  
  
"Was I wrong?"

  
  
"They are going to conspire to kill you."

  
  
"Good for them, I hope they enjoy their new hobby."

  
  
Clint smiled a little, then it fell. "You know it has occurred to me that if I want to tie you to the headboard we might have to talk about sex."

  
  
Phil stared at him. "Is the concept really so horrifying you have to look depressed about it?"

  
  
"No no! I'm just not good at talking about stuff."

  
  
"No kidding." He smiled a little as they stepped off the elevator. "This little exchange didn't prove that or anything."

  
  
Clint made a face at him. "I'm driving."

  
  
"Fine. Look, neither of us is smooth. We're awkward and we tend to really fuck up human interaction. Thing is we like each other anyway." Phil shrugged. "So I see no need to change that in relation to each other. Let's just say things plainly and go from there."

  
  
He had never felt such relief. "Knew there was a reason I liked you."

  
  
"Oh you love my aging balding ass and you know it, Hawkcakes."

  
  
Clint about choked on his own spit. "Were you talking to Tony today?"

  
  
"How could you tell?"

* * *

  
  
Dinner was glorious.

  
  
Clint had apparently decided that dating meant nice restaurants, so he took Phil out to a very well thought of Japanese restaurant. Phil had no shame in his orders, ignoring prices and just ordering what he thought sounded good. Clint just smiled and dealt with it, and they didn't bother talking about civilian things because really that had never been their lives.

  
  
So they talked about firearm changes at SHIELD and the impossibleness that was Tony Stark, and Thor's apparent mourning over not one but two family members.

  
  
"No love lost between us for Loki. Good riddance." Clint snorted. They were eating dessert and sipping buckwheat green tea.

  
  
"Obviously I can't disagree, still, Thor loved his insane little brother and seems to think he went out with honor." Phil shrugged. "Let him rest. If he did die helping Thor, he earned us not badmouthing him post mortem at least."

  
  
"If?" Clint's eyebrows went up.

  
  
"Thor says he's dead. I'm willing to accept that... but we also know he's a slippery fuck." Phil quirked an eyebrow. "That said, it might be better if he is dead. That lie would just break Thor's heart."

  
  
"No argument." He shook his head once.

  
  
"So. More cheerful topic. How is this going to work tonight?"

  
  
Clint's mode change was obvious, expression changing and shoulders changing carry. It's all subtle but Phil felt himself respond, head inclining slightly and shoulders sagging a little. "How about we go easy? Both of us change into comfy clothes, I bind your wrists and we watch a movie together?"

  
  
"What movie?"

  
  
"Princess Bride."

  
  
"Agreed. Sounds relaxing. Shall we?"

* * *

  
  
It wasn't relaxing at first. Phil was nervous, even though he kept telling himself it was silly. He was safe here Clint was here there was no reason to be jumpy.

  
  
Yet when Clint came to his door, in sweats and a muscleshirt and looking like a second course of dessert, he was balancing his weight carefully, feeling like he was on the edge of defending himself. Clint, to his credit, saw that immediately and treaded carefully, making his motions obvious when he stepped in and reached up to cradle Phil's face.

  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." Phil said helplessly, feeling a rush of guilt because he knows he can trust Clint.

  
  
"It's a new thing. You're nervous." Clint replied, pulling him in and rubbing the back of his neck in little circles. Phil groaned and went limp against him. "Come on. Tony has Princess Bride on the database. Let's get you settled."

  
  
"Sounds good." Phil said hazily, and let Clint lead him.

  
  
He concluded, a few minutes later, that while he and Clint had never been the same style of dom, Clint was a good dom. Clint found one of his good memory foam cushions and settled him in front of the couch, putting the news on as background noise while he made buttered popcorn on the stove. Phil sat on the cushion and drifted, listening to the drone of main stream media and the percussion of popcorn.

  
  
"They're talking about SHIELD again." He murmured when Clint reappeared with a large bowl.

  
  
"Don't think about it. TV, Princess Bride." One thing that Tony does very well is program voice control systems and the news disappeared in favor of the movie starting. "I'm going to bind your arms behind you for now okay?"

  
  
The nervousness returned, Phil's brows drawing together but he let Clint move him as he needed. He ended up with his arms folded behind his back, wrists carefully bound together. Sitting on a cushion on the floor, it did throw his ability to balance a bit and he tensed, until Clint sat behind him on the couch and tugged him so he was leaning into one of Clint's legs.

  
  
He settled and sighed, leaning his cheek on Clint's knee and settling bit by bit. One of Clint's hands stroked over his hair and his eyelids fluttered, letting himself sink.

  
  
"There you are. Good boy." Clint murmured, continuing to stroke his hair. "Are you comfortable? Your arms okay?"

  
  
He nodded, cheek rubbing against Clint's leg. " 's nice." He admitted, voice soft. "Like an anchor. Keeping me here."

  
  
"Good. If it bothers you, yellow light and tell me, I'll cut the tape. Okay?"

  
  
"Yes sir."

  
  
"Want some popcorn?"

  
  
The next two hours passed in blissful softness, both laughing at a long-familiar movie and nibbling the popcorn. Phil accepted it one or two pieces at a time from Clint's fingers, not shy about licking the butter and salt off his fingertips. He hasn't felt this relaxed in what felt like weeks and Clint seemed the same way, both content.

  
  
The credits were rolling when Phil shifted and turned, ending up kneeling between Clint's legs, sitting on his heels with his arms still bound, looking up at him. Clint was already thrumming with low level arousal because of the feeling of Phil's mouth on his fingertips, seeing Phil kneeling like that made his eyes dark and his breathing shiver for a moment.

  
  
"You look amazing like this." He leaned forward and pulled Phil in as close as he could, curling his legs around him loosely to keep him in place.

  
"It's strange you know, hearing that." Phil replied, shivering and leaning into Clint's touch greedily.

  
  
"I guess I'll just have to keep saying it until it isn't strange anymore." Clint slid a hand to cup along the back of Phil's neck and the base of his skull, cradling there as he leaned down and kissed him.

  
  
Phil did startle a little because this was new, this was uncharted territory but Clint's kiss was talented and hard, the sort of kiss that was meant to make sure a sub stayed kissed and he slowly melted. His eyes shut and he groaned into it, letting Clint control it. It was safe and satisfying, his dom leaning over him and around him and it's disturbingly easy just to float in that warm secure place in his head. Clint had him, he was fine.

  
Exhaustion and want went through him at the same time and the little confused noise he made made Clint break the kiss to look at his face.

  
  
"Just suddenly very tired." He made himself say, though it came out as a rough whisper.

  
"Let's get you to bed then." Clint's expression went rueful, though he was smiling a bit too.

  
  
He cut the tape to let Phil get ready for bed, and afterward bound his wrists in front. He ended up crashed on his side, wrists still tied. Clint spooned around him, arm wrapped around him to rest that hand on his bound wrists. The scissors were left on the bedside table, and Phil fell asleep easy and fast, luxuriating in the feeling of Clint all around him, keeping him safe.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't made any decisions regarding the rest of the team's D/s settings, or their relationships. So I'm willing to take suggestions about it. If you want to see background Stony or another ship, or have ideas on who should be dom or sub, tell me so in a review!


End file.
